Warp beam for looms



Sept. 5, 1933. w. J. ABRASH WARP BEAM FOR LOOMS Filed Dec. 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N MNN William KQ Sept. 5, 1933. w J ABRASH 1,925,428

WARP BEAM FOR LOOMS Filed Dec. 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwventoa Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to warp. beams for looms and more particularly has reference to improved. mechanism for adjusting the. flanges thereof to accommodate warps of varying widths.

Warp beams as commonly employed in looms comprise a wooden reel often carrying a .pair of metallic flanges between which the warp is wound on. the reel as itcomes offthe warpen. These flanges are ordinarily adjustable toward and away from each other for variations in the width of the Warp wound upon the beam... Warp beams and their appurtenances are. quitemassive and considerable difiiculty is often encountered in the adjustment of the flanges thereof since the adjustment must be accuratev and easily effected and the flanges firmly. locked in the adjusted position.

It is accordinglya purpose of the present invention to.- construct abeam. of the. character set forth having means for veryaccuratelyand. easily adj ustingits flanges and for firmly. retaining the latter in anyadjusted position.

A-further object of my invention resides in the provision of adjusting mechanism for warp beam flangeswhich doesnot require the use of separate locking means for holding theflanges in adjusted position, the adjusting mechanism-itself servingv to firmly lock theflanges upon the beam.

Another object of the invention'isto provide structure: of the nature indicated wherein no addition-al mani-pulation is necessaryto lock the flanges in adjusted position, the single-act of adjusting the flanges leaving themrrigidly secured with respect'to the beam.

Astill further object of the invention is to provide adjusting means for warp beam flanges which permits of ready application to Warp beams nowin use; I

Still another object of my invention resides in the provision of mechanism of the. character. set forth which. enables simultaneous adjustment to minute dimensions ofboth flanges on the warp beam by a single operation and which furnishes positive assurance of perfectsetting.

Thetinvention has for a further object adjusting means for warp beamflanges, all parts of which are visible and protected and easily removablewhennecessary.

adjusting attachment for the flanges, readily applicable-tothe beam, and operable to adjust-the flanges without the removal of the beam from its position in the warper.

Alstill further object is: the construction of a warpbeam'of the character. indicated of exceed- Another important aim is the provisionof an ingly simple design, notreadily thrown out of adjustment. and well. adapted for expeditious operation.

Inthe preferred embodiment of the invention, the flanges areadjusted onthe beam through the rotationof a pair of screw threaded members which are simultaneously operated in synchro nism. It. is accordingly another object of the invention to providea device.for simultaneously operating a pair. of rotatable. members. synchronouslyby asingle manipulation. Inits specific application, this device is detachable from. the warp beam after the flange adjustment has been made and the single operating device used on any number of beams-carrying my-improved'adjusting mechanism.

Other objects andadvtantages of. my. invention will be apparent from themore detailed description .thereof taken in conjunction with .theaccompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodi-ment of the invention, and in which Fig. 1.isa.broken elevationalview partlyin section showing the internal construction of the beam and the attachment applied to. one end thereof for adjusting. its flanges...

Fig. 2 is an .end'view; showing the..cooperating gearing of the adjustingv attachment or operating device.

Fig. 3'is a sectional view taken on line 3-.3 of Fig. 2. I

Fig; 4 is an :endrview of'the warp beam with the adjusting attachment removed and showing the relationship of'thetension'drum to theflange operating mechanism- Fig. 5'is a detail section on line 5- -5 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularlyto the'drawings, in Fig. 1 there is shown a cylindrical wooden-beam body B, having a pair of metallic flanges F, F and a detachable flange operating mechanism generally designated as M. The beam B is-centrally bored to fixedly mount the arbor 10"-which is shown as extending axially therethrough for supportingthe' beam in the loom; the beam also has apair of diametricallyopposed' grooves 11 and 12 cut in its'periphery, longitudinally thereof parallel to its axis for receiving rods 13, 14f (Figs. 4 and'5) which it will be seen extend beyond the ends of the beam. These rods serve to secure the hollow tension drums D, D to the ends of the beam, the drums resting on theflatfaces thereof within the recessed portions 15, 15' of each of'the drum walls 16. The rods 13, 14 have threaded ends and as shown pass through apertures 17 in the drums, tne threaded ends each receiving a nut 18 which firmly locks the drums to the beam.

As a feature of my invention, additional grooves 19, 19 are cut in the beam in the same manner as the grooves 11 and 12 only somewhat deeper, each of the former being removed 90 from the latter, so that each groove 19, 19 is equidistant from either groove 11 or 12. The deeper grooves 19, 19 are adapted to rotatably mount a pair of rods 20, 20 provided from their centers towards their ends with right and left screw threads. These rods, although capable of rotation, are fixed against longitudinal movement with respect to the beam and each is provided with squared ends 22 extending beyond the beam into the hollow portion of the tension drums D, D which in effect form housings therefor. I

Mounted for movement on the beam are the disc-like flanges F, F which have reenforcing ribs 23 and integral internally threaded lugs 24 which project into the grooves 19, 19 for cooperation with the right and left hand threads of the rods 20, 20. From the structure thus far described, it will be seen that synchronous rotation of rods 20, 20 will move the flanges toward or away from each other on the beam for accommodating warps of varying widths.

For moving the flanges toward and away from each other through the medium of the oppositely threaded rods, there is provided an attachment M having a bearing member 25 with an opening in its hub portion 27, threaded for receiving the bushing 28 through which an end of arbor 10 is adapted to freely pass. The bearing member is also characterized by a pair of apertures 29, 29, the former constituting a bearing surface for slidably receiving the horizontal portion 30 of a crank handle 31. A pinion 32 having a key 33 is slidably locked against rotation in a slot 34 formed in the portion 30, the terminus of which has a square aperture or key 35 adapted to receive the squared end 22 of one of the rods 20, 20'. The hole 29 similarly functions as a bearing surface for slidably holding the slotted bar 36 which movably locks'thereon the gear 37 by means of the key 37 movable in the slot 38 of the bar 36. The bushing 28 has rotatably mounted thereon a spur gear 39 which is adapted for meshing engagement with the gears 32 and 37, the gear 39 being retained in position between a face of the bearing member 25 and the flattened head 40 of the bushing 28.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that rotation of the crank handle 31 will impart rotational movement to the gears 32, 39, 3'7 whereby the rods 30, 36 will be rotated. It will also be noted that rod 36 has a squared aperture or key 35 similar to the aperture 35 in rod 30, the keys 35, 35' being suitably spaced to each receive one of the squared ends 22 of threaded rods 20, 20. The member M thus constitutes an eflicient device for simultaneously operating rods 20, 20 in synchronism for movement of flanges F, F toward and away from each other upon the beam.

When it is desired to vary'or adjust the distance between flanges F, F upon the beam, keys 35, 35 of operating device M are brought into engagement with squared ends 22 of threaded rods 20, 20' at one end of the beam with the end of arbor 10 passing freely through bushing 28, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Gears 32, 37 and 39 being in mesh, handle 31 is now rotated causing synchronous rotation of engaging extensions 30, 36 and of the adjusting rods 20, 20. Due to the opposite threading of each adjusting rod and the engagement of the threaded portions with the threaded lugs 24 of the flanges, the latter are thus moved toward or'away from each other depending upon the direction of rotation of handle 31. After the desired adjustment has been made, the operating device M is detached and is then available for use upon other beams whose flanges are to be similarly adjusted.

It will be observed that both flanges are simultaneously moved by a single operation and that the threaded portions of rods 20, 20' and lugs 24 constitute an effective lock for the flanges upon the beam after adjustment since the rods are rotatable only by the application of a positive rotational force at the ends and since the lugs are integral with the flanges and received in the longitudinal grooves of the beam. It will further be seen that the beam need not be locked or held against rotation during the adjustment since the operation upon squared ends 22 of the threaded rods by device M has no tendency whatever to impart rotational movement to the beam. Further, the flanges are readily adjustable from either end of the beam and without removal of the beam from the warper. In addition, the squared ends 22 being retained within hollow drums D, D, there are no projecting parts forming obstructions to the weaver or in an exposed position to be accidentally turned or operated.

As a further advantageous feature of the invention, each flange has a dual adjustment and lock at diametrically opposed points on the beam, thus insuring not only accurate adjustment but also preventing the flanges from twisting, buckling, and getting out of alignment after the adjustment thereof and during rotation of the beam. All parts of the adjusting mechanism, being positioned within the beam, are well protected but are yet readily accessible and removable.

The slidability of operating arms 30 and 36 of crank device M with respect to bearing member 25 and the gears permits the use of device M without interference from the warper supports for the beam. These supports ordinarily engage arbor 10 at points spaced varying distances from the extremities of the beam. If the distance between the support and the end of the beam is relatively great, the arms 30, 36 can be projected a greater distance beyond bearing member 25 and the gears to reach squared ends 22 while bushing 28 is still positioned near the end of arbor 10. Thus the operating device M can be employed without interference from the beam supports even though the latter are spaced a considerable distance beyond tension drums D, D, the slidability of the operating arms affording a longer or shorter reach for keys 35, 35' as required.

By virtue of the flanges F, F upon the beam, the necessity of employing paper to compress the warp is eliminated. When the beam is not provided with the flanges, paper must be used to hold down the yarn since otherwise the ends would fall off at the edges. In my device, the flanges hold the ends in position thus dispensing with the use of paper. The beam construction of my invention is applicable to practically every branch of the textile industry that deals with weaving.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised improved mechanism for easily and efficiently adjusting the flanges of warp beams, the invention having been illustrated and described in connection with a preferred embodiment. However, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited to the specific structure herein chosen for illustration as various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims, it being my intention to cover all modifications and uses of the invention as broadly as permitted by the state of the prior art.

I claim:

1. An adjusting mechanism for a warp beam for looms, the beam having a pair of flanges and screws for moving the flanges, the adjusting mechanism comprising rods engageable with the screws, said rods having gears slidable thereon, and means for meshing engagement with the gears whereby the rods may impart synchronous t rotation to the screws.

2. An adjusting mechanism for a warp beam for looms, the beam having a beam body with a pair of flanges mounted for movement thereon, and screws passed thru the body for moving the flanges, the adjusting mechanism including rods engageable with the screws, a bearing member having apertures for slidably supporting said rods, a pinion carried by said member, gears, adapted to mesh with the pinion, slidably keyed to said rods, whereby upon rotation of one of said rods rotational movement is imparted to the screws.

3. An adjusting mechanism comprising a bearing body having a series of apertures therethrough, a crank having a slot slidably received in one of said apertures, a slotted rod slidable in a second aperture, gears movable within the slots in the crank and rod, and a third gear operable for meshing engagement with said first mentioned gears.

4. An adjusting mechanism comprising a bearing body having a series of apertures therethrough, a hollow bushing partially received in one of said apertures and a pinion rotatable on said bushing, a pair of slotted rods movable in the other apertures, and gears slidably keyed in the slots in said rods, said gears movable to mesh ing engagement with the pinion.

5. A detachable operating device for a warp beam, the beam having an arbor projection and a pair of flanges adjustable by means of a pair of screw rods, said detachable operating device comprising a bearing member having anaperture adapted to receive said projection, spaced arms projecting through said member and slidable with respect thereto, said arms being adapted to engage the ends of said rods, a gear carried by each of said arms, an additional gear meshing with the gears on the arms, and means for rotating one of said arms.

6. An operating device of the character set forth which comprises a bearing member having apertures therethrough, an operating handle terminating in an engaging arm projecting through and slidable in one of said apertures, a second engaging arm slidable in another of said apertures, a gear carried by and rotatable with each of said arms, and a third gear carried by the bearing member and adapted to mesh with the first-mentioned gears.

WILLIAM J. ABRASI-I. 

